Now Reading: Lanterns review finds charm and muddled allegory in HBO series
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Lanterns review finds charm and muddled allegory in HBO series
HBO’s Lanterns follows veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan, played by Kyle Chandler, and trainee John Stewart, played by Aaron Pierre, as they investigate suspected alien activity in Rushville, Nebraska. The series places…
The Story in Brief
HBO’s Lanterns follows veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan, played by Kyle Chandler, and trainee John Stewart, played by Aaron Pierre, as they investigate suspected alien activity in Rushville, Nebraska. The series places its interplanetary police force inside an American Midwest mystery involving a sheriff, a ranching family and fears of outsiders.
The Hindustan Times review praises Chandler’s mischievous performance and finds Pierre solid, but calls the partnership unresolved and the show’s allegorical ambitions unsteady. It also objects to John’s abusive childhood training, which is tied to the demand that a Black boy be fearless in America. Seven of the eight episodes were available for review.
The Indian Opinion
The lazy take would call Lanterns either a grand new beginning for superhero television or proof that the genre has run out of ideas. The review points to a more mixed result: a lively central performance, familiar plotting and a troubling backstory that may use trauma as shorthand. Viewers should judge whether the eighth episode gives Hal and John’s partnership, and John’s history, enough resolution to justify the weight placed on them.
Source: hindustantimes.com
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